It’s hard to believe the Michael Clarke-Lara Bingle drama is “Groundhog Day” for the Australian cricket team. But Tuesday was nothing out of the ordinary, according to Australian coach Tim Nielsen.

“This is no different to any other day,” Nielsen told reporters at the team hotel in Wellington, flanked by a security officer, as TV crews spent the morning waiting in the foyer for any Clarke sightings.

“It’s all part and parcel of being an international cricketer. Every day of the week there is something going on.

“It’s just that most of the time you guys don’t know about it.

“We’ll deal with the distractions and move on and that’s life.

“We play a high-profile sport, we’re the only national sport in Australia, really.

“It’s the hard part about living on the road. It’s the hard part about living a life that’s quite public.”

Tensions are running high at the team hotel. Non-guests are being refused entry or being asked to leave.

Clarke’s media frenzy began when he left the country a week ago with three games remaining in the one-day international series.

He rushed home to Sydney to sort out his relationship with his bikini-model fiancee, who was attempting to deal with a nude-photo scandal.

Clarke announced on Friday the celebrity couple’s engagement was off.

The Australian vice-captain returned to Wellington on Monday and was under siege from the media, skipping a team function with New Zealand Prime Minister John Key later in the evening for physio treatment.

But the 28-year-old batsman did join team training on Tuesday at the Basin Reserve ahead of Friday’s first Test. He appears relaxed, but is still yet to speak to the media.

“Great to back with the boys. Just home from a big training session,” Clarke said on his Twitter site.

“Thanks to all my followers for your support.”

Nielsen said Clarke’s challenge was to cope with “external influences”.

“There are things that people would pick on, it’s just that everybody out there at the moment knows about this one,” Nielsen said of the enormous public interest in Clarke’s movements.

“Deal with things and still perform. That’s the nature of the beast.

“That’s why Michael has played 58 Test matches and performed so well.”

Nielsen says the Clarke drama is having “no real effect” on the team.

“He’s a player going through a personal issue like players tend to any day of the week,” the coach said.

“It’s just that we happen to do it in a public forum. We’re all supporting him and he’s comfortable where he’s at.”

Nielsen said he expected Clarke would be sledged by the Kiwi players.

“I think you could imagine that there’s a bit of banter that goes on, on the ground in every Test,” Nielsen said.

“As long as it’s not overt and it’s not so obvious for the public to see, I’m sure there are a lot of things said out there that nobody knows about.

“All it’s trying to do is get inside your mind and get you to not think about cricket. That’s one of the things we’ll deal with.”

Clarke would make his own decision on when to break his public silence when he feels most comfortable, Nielsen said.

© AAP 2012

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